1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicular traffic safety control devices and more particularly to a light weight highly mobile barrier or traffic channelizing structure designed for easy handling and quick deployment. The invention finds particular utility in the protection of personnel who must work in temporary construction zones in the presence of vehicular traffic. In one embodiment, the device functions as a barricade or barrier capable of deflecting the wheel of a vehicle so as to prevent the vehicle from climbing the side of the barrier at approach angles of up to approximately 20.degree.-25.degree.. In the second embodiment the device is used to channelize vehicular traffic as is done with highway marking cones and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of roadway traffic control and warning devices are in use today. These devices include visual markers, traffic bars which produce audible warnings when encountered by the tires of the vehicle, or flexible markers which present a psychological response of size or color, and actual energy absorbing barriers which prevent vehicle passage. The control devices may be either continuous or intermittent and have the object of guiding traffic movement, e.g. lane travel, so as to prevent vehicle collison or injury to pedestrians or workers present on the roadway.
Examples of purely visual control markers are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,954,346 to Miller, 5,306,105 to Langbrandner et al. and 5,403,115 to Flader. Traffic strips such as shown in the Miller and Langbrandner et al. patents may be made continuous and are usually adhered by adhesive or the like directly to the pavement surface. The Flader patent is an example of markers which are laid down in spaced relationship and may be arranged as desired to visually guide or warn the motorists. This type of marker is usually light reflective or brightly colored to attract the driver's attention. Another example of this type of marker is the continuous painted centerline or road edge strip for controlling lane traffic. Although effective for established avenues of unobstructed travel or normal cross-street and intersection traffic, these methods are not effective for emergency situations, detours, construction areas and the like because they offer no physical impairment to the movement of the vehicle or psychological effect on the driver and are ignored in many cases.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,841,059 to Wisewell and 5,242,242 to Young illustrate another type of traffic control device which provides not only a visual indication but also provides an audible warning to the driver. The devices may be brightly colored, have light reflectors and the like but are usually comparatively close to the pavement and provide no actual or psychological impediment to vehicle movement. The devices, however, are equipped with protrusions e.g. ribs or fins, which cause a noticeable, disagreeable jarring noise when run over by a vehicle without deflecting the steering wheel. Thus an impression of serious damage to the vehicle is created. By various connector means individual strips may be made continuous or they may be attached for intermittent use. Although such devices offer a deterrent to deviating from the indicated lane of travel there is no physical impairment to the vehicle movement and intentional crossover is easily accomplished. For this reason they are not effective to protect pedestrian traffic, workmen or other personnel on the roadway.
Another class of traffic control devices provides the advantages of both simple markers and audible warnings. Examples of this type of control device are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,851,935 to Weeks and 5,108,217 to Bloom. These devices are usually of a size and configuration to give the impression of a solid barrier but are so constructed as to present only a soft impact without damage to either the control device or the automobile. For this reason, these markers are constructed of flexible materials such as rubber or plastic and are self restoring so as to survive impact by vehicles. They may be adhesively adhered to the roadway surface or permanently anchored. Other well known examples of self restoring markers are plastic cones, drums or vertical tubes which are temporarily set in place. These devices offer an immediate visual impression and even present some psychological reaction because of their size but offer no real impediment to passage of a vehicle thus offering little protection to the pedestrian or roadway worker.
The following listed patents provide still another type of temporary traffic control device.
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 4,376,594 Prosenz 4,463,934 Ochoa et al. 4,474,503 Booth et al. 4,681,302 Thompson 5,360,286 Russell ______________________________________
The above listed patents illustrate impact absorbing barriers which are either large enough in size and mass to actually stop the colliding vehicle or are so designed as to contact the vehicle tire and deflect the steering of the vehicle away from the barrier. Although this class of barrier may be temporary and portable and may be both intermittent and continuous, they are constructed from steel, concrete or other massive materials capable of absorbing the impact of either the vehicle or the vehicle wheel. These devices, usually through special design, present a form of anti-climbing surface making it difficult for a vehicle to climb up the side of the barrier when approached from an angle. Although this class of device is in wide use, especially for temporary traffic control in construction areas, they are expensive to manufacture and are not easily installed or moved because of their size and weight.
There is thus a need for a highly portable traffic control device which not only provides a psychological impediment to vehicular traffic such as visual and audible signals to motorists, when functioning as a channelizing device, but is also capable of providing an actual physical impediment to vehicular traffic approaching at an angle. The primary object of this type of barrier or barricade and channelizing device is that of protecting pedestrian traffic and personnel on the roadway. These functions must be accomplished while at the same time providing a highly mobile unit which may be quickly and easily installed and removed by hand without the necessity of expensive equipment.